Gary the older when he was younger
by ylila
Summary: Gareth the older from Page to Squire. I can't update often and the chapters are rather short.
1. The New Page

_**Gary the older - when he was younger.**_

Gary gasped, and nodded vigorously. The training master, Lord Harise, dismissed him with a wave of the hand. The new page's briefing was over. It was time to start his time as a page.

'_It'll be hard, but you'll get through, because the gods are counting on you.' _Belatedly the boy remembered the blessing his father had often whispered over him before the boy fell asleep.

"Come on, boy. We have to get you ready for tomorrow." The maid's voice was quiet, but Gary obeyed her anyway. There was no point getting into trouble, and he probably wouldn't get teased _too_much.

Wrong. Sooo wrong.

"Ohh, the new page is baby!" That was another page, Gary could tell by his clothes. Although he looked slow and stupid, Gary was secretly as sharp as a sword. He was good with those, too.

The other boy approached him menacingly. Gary could tell he was a leader, by the way the other boys gathered around him. Gary clenched bruised fists and waited for the worst. He hoped the older boy didn't have the wrong idea about him.

"Following a maid around isn't the kind of thing us pages do!" The boy snapped. He walked over to Gary. "You obviously aren't a page, street rat!" Most of the boys were sniggering now. The maid was nowhere in sight. Great. Gareth crossed his arms, fitting his two thin bladed daggers into both fists. He prayed he wouldn't need them.

"Page's can fight, street rat! So I guess you can't. What a pity. You've annoyed me, streetie!"

"For your information, I can fight perfectly well, and I don't mind if you check!" he was in for it now. Gary uncrossed his arms, showing daggers. He didn't care if they were banned at the moment. The boy had a couple of daggers, too. The other boys had clustered around the pair. None of the nobles were around. No help there.

The boy slashed forward, but Gary dodged, using the balls of his feet to propel himself sideways. He jabbed forwards, using the flat of the dagger to send the boy flying. He landed against the ring of pages and squires, who stepped aside and dropped him. Gary walked over and checked the boy wasn't hurt, then went to find the maid. He didn't think anyone else had seen, but he ran quietly in case. He would be punished if anyone told, but he didn't think they would. No one told on anyone in the Palace. No one liked you if you did.

The rest of the day passed in a rush. He was nicknamed 'Naxen Boy', found an old boy to show him around, and went for fittings. He had most of the clothes he needed already, from his brother Colelin. Colelin had died a year ago, having taken suicide in the Chamber of the Ordeal. The thought made Gary stiffen. What was in that ghastly place? What had made his big brother die in the stone tomb-like Chamber? What would happen to him in there?

At last Gary was shown to his room by the maid, who was called Maginta. She was beautiful. Rosy cheeks, lively eyes, a stunning smile which lit up the room when she used it, which was often. Gareth of Naxen fell into a deep, warm sleep.



Maginta woke him the next day. It was sunny, which was cheerful. Magnita smiled when he woke, and gave him a glass of water. He sat up and smiled at her. And thus the courtship began, with a simple smile.


	2. Chapter 2

Gareth woke on the second bright morning of his page training, sweating and covered in bruises. He couldn't understand why for a few seconds, then he realised.

The fight, the silvery flash of daggers, which shone in the half-light from the dusty windows. The other boy's face- red, angry, bitter.

Gary tried to push all of his feelings away, to hold them in front of him, and get ready for the first proper day of his training. He had longed for this ever since he had heard Colelin tell him about it all. He hoped it went well.

As Gary pulled off the woollen coverlet, and struggled from the blankets, someone entered from the servants' door. Gary swung round, hands ready.

But it wasn't the bully. It was the maid from the day before, Magnita. She smiled at him, and he blushed.

"Master Gareth, do you require my services?" She asked politely, and curtsied neatly. Her cheeks were flushed, as if she had been running. Her golden hair was tied in two neat bunches, but was a bit knotted, Gary noticed, as he examined her closely. This made her blush. Suddenly he realised he was meant to answer.

Ummm, no, and please call me Gary", he said, smiling at her. She didn't need to look up at him, like most girls, which was good.

"I'm to be your personal maid", she said clearly, dipping anther curtsy.

"Wonderful, well, you might as well set up a pallet in the corner, then." Gary's hands were hot. Carefully, he used his Gift to cool them. His Gift wasn't that good, as Gary could only heat and warm things, to the point that they froze, of caught fire. He could also bring light.

Magnita left the room, and Gary got dressed in his new page clothes. Smoothing them with his hand, Gareth of Naxen opened his door into the Pages corridor. It was one of the newest corridors in the palace, as it had been built only a year ago. The sandstone shone in the early morning light from the windows. It glistened, looking like there was water on it. The entire Palace had this effect, as a mage had once enchanted the stone, making it look like it had water on it.

Gary peered anxiously around him, hoping the boy didn't come. He needed to get to the Page Hall, he thought. He had been shown where that was. Still scanning the crowds for the boy, Gareth walked swiftly to the Hall. He may have been short, but Gary's legs were muscled and strong.

The gateway loomed ahead of him, and the Pages all sat in their lines of tables. Gary almost ran in, hoping he wasn't keeping the others waiting. It wouldn't do to annoy them on his first proper day.

He was in just in time. The bell rang, and he didn't even have time to sit before Lord Harise said the blessing. They all sat down, and began to eat the food before them. It was warm porridge, thick and gloopy, though a little gray. Gary ate his speedily, spooning the stuff into his mouth. The water was much needed. On the other hand it was a bit sour, but no one was complaining. It was far better than any water the commoners in the city got. Most drank ale, no matter how old they were. Many died, Kidney failure, the healers said. However, one Gold Noble would make a Corus city healer instantly change his or her diagnosis.

Gary brushed such melancholy thoughts from his mind hurriedly. He was a noble! He must treat commoners with little respect, and no insult, however much he wanted to help their dire situation.

"You are dismissed!" The Training master boomed. Gary followed the other boys as he left the hall.

His first day had started.


	3. Chapter 3

OK, let's get this straight, once and for all. I know some dudes have been confuzzled: the title is Gareth the older when he was younger, implying that I'm writing about DUKE Gareth when he was younger. The bully is NOT Ralon, and he just says street rat because he does. OK? We don't know who DUKE Gareth's dad is, and we don't know it the Naxens were a very powerful family then. With heritage, certainly, but didn't DUKE Gareth rise in the noble ladder a lot during his life? I think so... if that's all sorted, on with the story!

this chapter is too short to do anything with, but I'll add more when I get a computer of my own- this story has mainly been done in ICT.

Gary ran to the newly-built training grounds with the other pages, his feet crunching gently on the gravel. The training grounds loomed up against him, one of the best protected parts of the castle, as so many battle secrets and techniques were shown there. The building was limestone, and, like most of the rest of the castle, looked as though it had water running down it. As he ran down the hill, the wind in his hair and his clothes flapping, Gary marvelled that the world could be so beautiful, so wonderful and pure. The trees glistened from the rain that had fallen the night before, and the wind whistled through the trees. Gary felt like a bird, flying on clear azure skies. Then the rain cloud came.  
"Oh, it's 'Sir Mighty Naxen'!" It was the big boy from yesterday. "Look at you, swaggering down the hill like you own the Palace! Who do you think you are?"  
"Who I am." Gareth was trembling. He was sure he didn't have the guts to stand up to the boy, and all his horrid cronies, who were now gathering.  
" And that is? A goatherd? An illegitimate son- you can't be a proper Naxen with that face. Did you fall on a sword when you were younger?" The boys started sniggering.  
The boy tapped another boy on the shoulder, who stepped forwards and smartly kicked Gary over.  
"Please, please, stop it! I'll do anything to make you stop!" Gary gasped, all the wind knocked out of him. "HELP! SOMEBODY, HELP!"  
The boy who had kicked him over kicked his mouth so hard one of the teeth got pulled from its roots. "Shut up"  
"AHHHHHHHH!" Gary screamed with pain. He couldn't help it. His mouth was filled with blood- he couldn't swallow at all. Searing pain filled his jaw and gums. He couldn't breathe. The next thing he saw was blackness.  
xXx  
EDIT: more!

Gary didn't even have to open his eyes to feel the pain. Pain in his jaw, pain in his eyes, pain in his nose, pain in his stomach, but mainly in his teeth. They felt as though he had had all of his teeth wrenched out, and, in fact, some of his teeth were out. He could taste the blood.  
When he finally opened his eyes, he saw Magnita's face above him.  
"rgrhiefde" he said weakly.  
"Come on not- how'dyou expect to talk with a mound of mangled teeth in your mouth" she said gruffly. "Those boys beat you bad- you should watch out for them!"  
"gno boyes" Gary tried to say. It came out even worse than he thought.  
"'No boys?' I was right behind you. I saw everything. It was horrible- I mean, a son of Naxen being treated like he WAS a goatherd! Dreadful! How do they think-" Gary raised a hand to shut her up. He mimed writing on the quilt.  
" You want to tell me something? Write it down?"  
Gary nodded. Magharita hurried off. Gary settled down to sleep  
any good?


	4. Chapter 4

When gary opened his eyes for the third time that day, he immediately saw Lord Harise. Gary tried to sit p, but the tall man put a hand on his chest to stop him moving.

"Save your strength for my questions. I need to now a few things about what happened- can you help me?"

This man was a duke. How could he lie to a duke? What could he say? Gary was more trapped then than he had been with the bully. What could he say?

" Come on, boy. What can you possibly say that will hurt you?" Harise's voice was a little impatient now. Gary didn't have time. If he told the Duke, the boys would kill him. He was sure of it.

" Did you hit your head too, page?" Harise really was impatient now. What was Gary to do? He thought quickly and deeply, and remembered the usual way to get out of these problems. Of course!

" Sir, I fell down." Gary struggled to keep his face straight, and only just managed. He hoped his brother was proud of him.

"Gareth of Naxen, I want the truth, not some stupid old joke the pages use to get them out of trouble!" Harise was now red as beetroot.

"I fell down while walking to the practice yards!" Gary swallowed hard as he finished. Would he get away with it?

"I don't belive you, but I will make do with what I know, and go to see Roald of Conte tomorrow. I believe that he was an the hill, and he was connected with the incident." Harise walked from the room.

_Oh no. oh no. I'm going to be killed by the heir to the throne, and I can't do anything about it. Maybe I should go home._

"do you need anything, page?" Maginta. His maid. Of course she would want to know all about what had happened, and then tell everyone. He would be the laughing stock of the palace. Wonderful.

"No, nothing. Close the door behind you."

Just as she was doing just that, a healer bustled into the room. Gary groaned. More vile medicines that hurt his throat and insides. The healer walked up to his bed.

"Everything alright? Need anything? You'll be in here at least a week. The healers are doing their best, but the king says he can't spare his, surprisingly. His son as a stomach ache, they say."

_That bastard. So I'll get stuck in here for weeks, while he becomes a knight. Double-wonderful. I hope Roald gets a lot of bruises fro the fencing. He sure deserves it. Maybe I should tell, even if they'll kick me out of the palace, I don't know…_

"I said, is everything all right? I don't think you got punched in the ears." The man looked puzzled at Gary's silence. He walked over to a cabinet set slightly into the white painted wall. He drew out a bottle. Gary's mouth wouldn't open. His muscles lacked the strength to move. The man brought the bottle over, and opened gary's mouth with a grunt. He dropped four drops of liquid into the boy's now-open mouth.

" Maybe there is one of the princes healers here- and he just sent you to the Black Gods Realm." The healer walked to the door, and closed it behind him.

"What?" Gary tried to sit up, and then realised he now couldn't. His eyelids sagged. He drifted off to sleep, light as a feather on the wind. Then it started raining.


	5. Chapter 5

Page Gareth of Naxen's entire family, from mother to great-great aunt second time removed. The whole room was silent, save for the rustling of the wind in the trees through the outside window. The whole congregation wore full black, grey or lavender. They all had their eyes closed, heads bowed.

The Naxen family, although not particularly famous, was quite renowned by its nobles for the fact that all of the women had the Gift, and a vast percentage of the men did too. This was rare, as most noble families had mainly men mages, and only a few of them at that. However, this abnormality was proving very useful to them now.

The group was in a rough circle around the bed in which Gary lay. All of them held hands. The hope was that if everyone related to him strengthened the healing spell with their magic and essence, then maybe it would succeed.

The poison that had nearly killed Gary had been very powerful. He was in a coma, and was going to die if they could not get him out of it within a day- he would starve to death and not even realise it. They had only twelve hours for him to live it they couldn't save him. He was lucky he hadn't died yet.

"Come on, clan! He was a good boy, and lets hope he will be when we save him! Another burst please!" Gareth's father, lord Foyran, looked very tired already. He had been leading the 'attacks' on the poison-induced-comotose Gary had become. They weren't really attacks, more like infiltiration into gary's head.

xXx

_It was fuzzy in here, Gary thought blearily. Everything was gray and twisted. Like trees. Gray and twisted. Treelike. Gnarled and gray, and twisted. Twisty gray. Gnarled. Twisted. Trees. Treelike. _

His thoughts barely existed. He was driftling gently up and down the well, sometimes almost dead, sometimes alive, but just not. As the surges of magic rushing into him grew, the poison faded, but only a little. It would not let go of it's grip on the boy.

G_ray and twisted. Like trees. Gray and twisted. Treelike. Gnarled and gray, and twisted. Twisty gray. Gnarled. Twisted. Trees. Treelike. Gnarled and gray, and twisted. Twisty, gray. Gray,gary,gary,gray,yay,grr,ray,ray,gay,gary,gray,grayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy. _He was falling deeper…

Deeper…

Deeper..

_Deeper._

_**DEEPER**_


End file.
